The trip is fast approaching! Here are the families that the Grade 9 students will be building homes for over February Break:
Family Information
Mother: Maria - 37 years old
Father: Jose - 47 years old
Job: Driver
Weekly Salary: $150 USD
Children: Jose (22) and Rosario (13)
"To Whom It May Concern, My name is María de los Ángeles Haro Reyes, and together with my family, I am requesting your support for the construction of a home. We are currently facing great hardship, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic when I lost my father and two of my brothers. My husband also suffered the loss of his mother, grandmother, an uncle, and a niece. We are a close-knit family, but we are deeply concerned about the current weather conditions, as we do not have a safe home. My husband takes on small jobs, but his income is limited and barely covers our basic household expenses. I am unable to work due to a health condition that the public healthcare system has not been able to address, as I had to undergo surgery with a private specialist. Additionally, we help support my mother, who was recently injured. This has led to significant medical expenses and legal proceedings. We also do everything we can to support our eldest son’s education, as he is a dedicated student, and we want him to have better opportunities than we had. Despite our struggles, we work hard every day to move forward. From home, I contribute through household work and do my best to keep our family progressing. For all these reasons, I humbly ask for your support in the hope of providing my family with a safe place to live."
Family Information
Mother: Ana - 51 years old
Job: Cake seller and house cleaner
Weekly Salary: $210 USD
Father: Ruben - 64 years old
Job: Gardening
Weekly Salary: $100 USD
Children: Mariana (11)
"To Whom It May Concern, My name is Ana María López Najar. I currently work cleaning houses four days a week, earning 700 pesos per day. To supplement our income, I sell apples with chili and traditional Mexican snacks on weekends. My husband works in gardening on weekends and earns 2,000 pesos. We have an 11-year-old daughter, and my elderly father, who is ill, lives with us. His financial contribution is minimal due to his condition. We used to live in a borrowed house, but after the owner passed away, we were evicted, and our belongings were left on the street. Since then, we have moved from place to place, renting a single room, which has been difficult due to high rental costs. During this time, I started feeling unwell, and after an ultrasound, I was diagnosed with gallstones. I have not been able to undergo surgery because my priority has been securing stable housing for my family. With the support of my three older daughters, we managed to make a down payment on a piece of land, as we must vacate our rented room in August. In the first week of that month, we will move to the land and build a small room within our means. Despite the hardships, I have been making payments on the land for a year, staying up to date with great effort, even after being scammed with false property deals in the past. It saddens me not to be able to provide my youngest daughter with the stability she deserves. When my eldest daughter told me about the opportunity to receive help in building a home, I felt immense joy and relief. Knowing that there are people willing to help without expecting anything in return deeply moved me. When I learned about Homes of Hope and heard the stories of families they have helped, I cried with emotion at the thought of having a home of our own and no longer having to move from place to place. I was also deeply touched to hear words about our Lord Jesus. I have been so overwhelmed with worries that I distanced myself from Him, unsure of how to pray with faith. I would be eternally grateful for your help in providing my daughter with a dignified place to grow, play, and attend school without constant disruptions. May God bless you and multiply your kindness toward those who truly need it."
Family Information
Mother: Alma - 26 years old
Father: Brian - 28 years old
Job: Welder in a factory
Weekly Salary: $170 USD
Children: Edric (4)
"To whom it may concern at Homes of Hope, My name is Brian Sandoval. My family consists of my wife, Alma, and our son, Edric. We are requesting your support for a home, as our current living conditions are extremely precarious. We have made great efforts to improve our home with the few resources we have, but it has not been enough. The rains have been a constant challenge since we did not have waterproofing, and the water would ruin our repairs. Despite dedicating entire days to improving our house, the lack of proper materials made our work futile. Additionally, working under these conditions was exhausting. I would come home after a long workday, tired, with no electricity or water, and worried about the insecurity of the darkness. Our savings quickly ran out, and our home was still unfinished. There were times when I had to miss work to deal with leaks, as we could only cover the roof with tarps. Eventually, I lost my job. With my severance pay, we bought waterproofing materials, which helped reduce the leaks, although not completely. We also had to take out a loan to pay for electricity. We have been living here for a year and three months, facing many difficulties, but we have not lost hope of improving our home. We are grateful for the opportunity to be considered for this support, as our greatest wish is to provide our family with a safe and dignified home."
Family Information
Mother: Veronica - 33 years old
Children: Mia (13), Francisco (4)
"My name is Verónica Yazmín Ruiz Gómez, and I am the mother of two children: a 13-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son. I am reaching out to you in hopes of receiving support for building a home. I learned about your work through social media and saw how many families have benefited from your help. That encouraged me to try. I know it won’t be easy, but I have hope. It brings me joy to know that there are still people willing to help those in need. I am seeking this support because I am a single mother and rely financially on the assistance provided by my ex-husband, the father of my children, as well as my mother, who helps me with groceries. Finding a job has been difficult since I have not been able to find a schedule that fits my needs. My son is still very young, my daughter is in school, and I don’t have anyone nearby to care for them. I have been living on my plot of land for a year and five months. Before that, my sister and I rented a home, but we were asked to leave suddenly, so I had no choice but to move to my land. At first, we built a small room where we all slept together until my sister was able to construct her own space on her plot next to mine. Later, roads were built behind my land, causing dirt and rocks to fall onto my home, damaging one of the walls. Fortunately, the responsible offices took care of the damage. Currently, my children and I still live in this single wooden room, which has no flooring, and we use a latrine as our bathroom. My daughter attends the local middle school, which, while nearby, is still quite a walk. Every day, we walk there and back. This has made it even more difficult for me to secure a full-time job, as I worry about my daughter walking alone. I am reaching out to you in hopes of providing my children with a warmer and more secure home. I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to read my request. May God bless and protect you always."
Family Information
Mother: Claudia - 46 years old
Job: House cleaning
Weekly Salary: $50 USD
Father: Hugo - 49 years old
Job: Construction worker
Weekly Salary: $175 USD
Children: Juan (13), Fransue (10)
"My name is Claudia Pineda Sanchez. I am 46 years old and originally from the state of Tlaxcala, in southern Mexico. Two years ago, my children and I arrived in Tijuana in search of a better life, as the situation in our hometown was very difficult. There were times when we had nothing to eat and went to bed hungry. I worked in a sewing workshop, earning only 400 pesos a week, which was not enough to cover our expenses. I fell so far behind on rent that we were evicted, and our belongings were thrown out onto the street. My children often missed school because I couldn't afford to feed them. Those were times of deep despair, and I even lost ho pe. My greatest wish is to have a proper home for my family, so we don't have to suffer anymore or see my children without shoes or proper clothing. I am diabetic, and my son Juan has an intellectual disability. When we arrived in Tijuana, I found a job, but I had an accident at work, and they let me go. Since then, I have struggled to find stable employment. Right now, only my husband works, but his income barely covers rent, the land payment, our children's school, and household expenses. We live in a single room, and our situation remains very difficult. With tears in my eyes, I beg for help to have a dignified home for my family. Last year, my youngest child became ill and was diagnosed with asthma, but at the time, we couldn't afford the medical tests he needed. We were only able to complete them this week. There have been days when all we have to eat is beans. I pray to God for strength and for kind hearted people who may be able to help us. I deeply appreciate any support you can provide."
Please keep all these families in your prayers!
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